04/07/1997 03:26 PM House L&C

 HB 137 - BOARD OF VETERINARY EXAMINERS; LICENSE                             
                                                                               
 Number 0030                                                                   
                                                                               
 CHAIRMAN ROKEBERG announced the first order of business was House             
 Bill No. 137, "An Act relating to veterinarians; extending the                
 termination date of the Board of Veterinary Examiners; and                    
 providing for an effective date."                                             
                                                                               
 Number 0075                                                                   
                                                                               
 REPRESENTATIVE JOHN COWDERY made a motion to adopt as a work draft            
 version 0-LS0549\E, Lauterbach, 4/3/97.                                       
                                                                               
 CHAIRMAN ROKEBERG called a brief at-ease.  He then asked the                  
 committee aide to explain the situation with HB 137.                          
                                                                               
 Number 0153                                                                   
                                                                               
 SHIRLEY ARMSTRONG, Legislative Assistant to Representative Norman             
 Rokeberg, said when HB 137 was before the committee previously,               
 they made changes to conform to changes the Senate Labor and                  
 Commerce Committee had indicated they would make.  Since then, she            
 had held the committee substitute drafted at that time.  The Senate           
 committee had made no further changes.  Therefore, what the House             
 Labor and Commerce Committee discussed at the previous hearing was            
 exactly what was before them now.                                             
                                                                               
 Number 0208                                                                   
                                                                               
 REPRESENTATIVE COWDERY asked whether the same fiscal note applies.            
                                                                               
 MS. ARMSTRONG affirmed that.  There was no increase in the number             
 of members.  The major change is on page 3, line 5.  Some                     
 veterinarians had a problem with the practical examination; there             
 is still no consensus on that.  They would prefer to remove that              
 exam, saying it is essentially the same as the other exam they                
 already take.  However, a group of veterinarians in Alaska believes           
 they should have knowledge of Alaska-specific maladies.  She cited            
 the high incidence of rabies as an example.  "If there is any                 
 controversy, that's the only one," she stated.  "Other than that,             
 everybody else has pretty much indicated the rest of the changes              
 are not significant."                                                         
                                                                               
 Number 0337                                                                   
                                                                               
 REPRESENTATIVE JOE RYAN asked about the penned-in notation on page            
 3, line 18, of the draft.                                                     
                                                                               
 MS. ARMSTRONG advised that was her own note.                                  
                                                                               
 Number 0376                                                                   
                                                                               
 CHAIRMAN ROKEBERG asked for verification that nothing in the bill             
 affects Iditarod-type veterinarians, for example.                             
                                                                               
 MS. ARMSTRONG said no, they obtain permits under "that last section           
 where we were making a note."  She said there was a discussion                
 about veterinarians coming to Alaska, setting up shop for two or              
 three months in the summer and doing business.  That was why she              
 had made the notation, as she questioned whether that should be               
 changed or reduced.  For the Iditarod, for example, someone could             
 get a 60-day renewable permit, for a total of 120 days.                       
                                                                               
 MS. ARMSTRONG said apparently the Senate had not dealt with that.             
 "What they've been trying to avoid on these boards is so they don't           
 have to go to a conference committee," she said.  "So we've been              
 trying to keep them the same.  But they haven't reached any                   
 agreement on the Alaska issue, and I'm not sure what they would do            
 if we changed the current law."                                               
                                                                               
 CHAIRMAN ROKEBERG asked if there was any objection to passage of              
 the bill.  He advised that the committee substitute had already               
 been adopted.                                                                 
                                                                               
 Number 0497                                                                   
                                                                               
 REPRESENTATIVE RYAN made a motion to move CSHB 137(L&C) from                  
 committee with individual recommendations and accompanying zero               
 fiscal note.                                                                  
                                                                               
 CHAIRMAN ROKEBERG, hearing no objection, advised that CSHB 137(L&C)           
 moved from the House Labor and Commerce Standing Committee.